Smiling River Hero
SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND
SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND
SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND
Smiling River Hero

About Smiling River Campground

Nestled in Deschutes National Forest, Smiling River Campground offers visitors some of the most stunning scenery in central Oregon and easy access to an abundance of recreational activities.

Available sites

28 total sites

Activities & Attractions

Nearby

Hiking

Hiking

Year-round

Seasonal information

2026 (Current year)

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Currently closed

Campground Amenities

Water and Hygiene

Water and Hygiene

  • Potable Water
Missing information?

Rates, Sites & Availability

Select check-in and check-out dates to see availability.

28 Sites Available

Site
Price
🚐 001, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 002, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 003, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 006, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 007, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 008, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 009, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 010, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 011, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 012, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 013, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Back-in Site
🚐 014, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 015, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 016, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Pull-through
🚐 017, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Pull-through
🚐 018, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 019, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Pull-through
🚐 020, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Pull-through
🚐 021, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Pull-through
🚐 022, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Pull-through
🚐 023, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Pull-through
🚐 024, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Pull-through
🚐 025, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 028, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 029, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 030, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 031, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 032, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In

Reviews

382 reviews

Summary

AI generated

Smiling River Campground offers a beautiful setting with clean and well-maintained facilities, attracting many campers who appreciate the quiet and peaceful atmosphere by the river. Guests have praised the helpful camp host and the enjoyable outdoor activities available, such as hiking and biking. However, some concerns have been raised about the maintenance of the bathrooms and issues with the reservation system, which could detract from the overall experience.

Based on guest feedback

4.3

Overall rating

Based on 382 reviews

Write a review
5 stars 54.5% (208)
4 stars 27.5% (105)
3 stars 11.0% (42)
2 stars 4.7% (18)
1 star 2.4% (9)

Showing 382 reviews

Kaitlin C

Verified

August 30, 2026 Stayed at: 008, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

Great spot/campground. Easy access to the river and trails. The city store is less than a 1.5 mi walk away.

Helpful

Bret F

Verified

August 27, 2026 Stayed at: 014, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

Site 14 is a beautiful site with excellent river access and river views. It fit our 24’ trailer just fine. The occasional wafting smell from the nearby outhouse was our only issue. As others have mentioned, site 15 is quite close, but the group of five, with three kids, next door were not a problem at all. When we go back, we likely will try to reserve site 14 again.

Helpful

Michael B

Verified

August 21, 2026 Stayed at: 003, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

We camped in a location quite a distance from the needed facilities, such as water, sump and the nearest restroom was locked on one of the two access doors. The side that was open really had an offensive odor to it.

Helpful

Rob E

Verified

August 20, 2026 Stayed at: 032, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

Site was occupied by someone who didn’t have a reservation. They would only leave after I showed them my reservation.

Helpful

Jim J

Verified

August 20, 2026 Stayed at: 023, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

We ran out of power 3 days into our 5 day stay. Fortunately we had a friend who shared his propane generator with us to help us get through our stay.

Helpful

Ralph H

Verified

August 11, 2026 Stayed at: 030, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

Derik, the camp host was very helpful letting us know about the FORREST fire conditions.
The bathrooms were kept in adequate conditions as were the campsites. 🤗

Helpful

Julie H

Verified

August 10, 2026 Stayed at: 021, Loop: SMILING RIVER CAMPGROUND

New system for reservations is awful. They should go back to first come first serve. Cannot change spots even if they have someone that does not show up because you will lose your money from your reservation if you move, and it will cost you more if you take another spot , so it is a rip off system. Also when we first arrived we were told due to cost cuts that bathrooms only have one open room since the outdoor toilets could not be pumped and they were full! People have to wait in line in am to use bathroom and the not so funny thing is that both rooms dump into one large hole so why would you close off one side??? I feel it is because the host does not want to clean both sides. Have been coming to this area for over 25 years and sadly disappointed in how things are being managed.

Helpful

Location & Directions for Smiling River Campground

Po Box 249, Sisters, OR 97759 United States

Elevation: 897 ft

Nearest town

Sisters, OR - 19 mi

About 26 min to downtown

Highway access

Smiling River Campground is located approximately 20 miles from US Highway 20, which provides access to the area.

Nearby Campgrounds

Nearby destinations


Last updated: November 3, 2026

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Explore Sisters, OR

Sisters, Oregon

Population: 3,022

Nearby city: Bend, OR

Approx. 34 mi away (straight-line distance)

Elevation: 3,186 ft

Sisters, OR

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